Toowoomba Panama Papers link explained

Tara Miko
Reporter
Tara started with APN in 2010 after graduating with a journalism and politics degree from Griffith University in Brisbane. After two-and-a-half years working on APN papers in the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland, she joined the team at The Chronicle in February 2013. In September that year she took over the reins of the Rural Weekly.

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalism's Panama Papers database states Asia Pacific Claims Management was incorporated on March 17, 1998 in the British Virgin Islands.

The database lists its status as "struck/defunct/ deregistered" to which the elected official is listed as an intermediary.

The database defines an intermediary as "a go-between for someone seeking an offshore corporation and an offshore service provider -- usually a law firm or a middleman that asks an offshore service provider to create an offshore firm for a client".

The website says there are legitimate uses for offshore companies and trusts and there is no implication or suggestion of wrong-doing on part of those named in the files.

"We do not intend to suggest or imply that any persons, companies or other entities included in the ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database have broken the law or otherwise acted improperly," it reads.

The Chronicle contacted a spokesman for Sen. O'Sullivan but comment was not received.

Fairfax Media, in 2013, reported Sen. O'Sullivan shut the company down shortly after receiving a letter from the Australian Tax Office inquiring into the firm.

Sen. O'Sullivan said the company had not traded since receiving the ATO letter.

Four addresses were found through a search using Toowoomba as a key word. Two are linked to Sen. O'Sullivan while another is a PO Box and the fourth appears to be a residential addresses.